We now need not only experiential wisdom but behavioural wisdom as well. We need the same authentic, raw and innocent perspective to recollect the sense of oneness that we might have lost while developing our ego boundaries. It’s only through the union of our adult experience and a childlike sense of interconnection that we can create a harmonious world for all the beings that we share our planet with.
Understanding Ecology : The Wisdom of a Child | Priyanka Singh
The sensory world begins to unfold just after a few weeks we are conceived, becoming flesh and bones, and week after week, we are formed inside the sea of our mother’s womb, who in turn started her cellular life in her mother and grandmother’s womb.
“All the eggs a woman will ever carry will form in her ovaries when she is a four-month-old fetus in the womb of her mother. This means our cellular life as an egg begins in the womb of our grandmother. Each of us spends five months in our grandmother’s womb, and she in turn formed within the womb of her grandmother. We vibrate to the rhythms of our mother’s blood before she is born.”
– Layne Redmond
We are tied with our ancestors through this beautiful web of creation that carries us to the beginning of life on Earth itself.
How it all began is a matter of mystery and scientists still have to arrive at a unanimous decision. However, many studies suggest that cells are too complex to be formed at once and one component must have survived and somehow multiplied or created others around it. Many organisms are capable of reproducing by themselves, so this theory seems appropriate. Over time things became more complex with exposure to different environments manifesting all different forms of life and eventually leading to the evolution of our ancestral primates.
If all life is capable of manifesting from one cell or at least just a few cells that existed in the beginning, then this feeling of ‘Oneness’ could also be elaborated by acknowledging our origins from these cells or even from the big bang.
All the creation is closely knitted, we are not just human beings, we are the process of life that is still unfolding itself and we all are connected to the source, the creator, nature, or our ancestors in a mysterious way that is beyond our conscious mind.
However, the subconscious mind is a greater tool that is deeply connected to everything around it. We don’t tell our bodies how to perform basic functions that are necessary for surviving, the body already knows and is directed by the mind. We all know how to breathe, eat, drink, sleep, smell, etc. We have immersed ourselves in the environment around us and the environment in us. When we dream, we often travel to different realities that unfold themselves through the power of the subconscious mind. Psychologists often try to unravel the dream world to analyze the state of mind of their patients.
When we are born, we know we are one with everything around us. During the first few months after birth, the infant cannot separate themselves from the universe and is unable to feel any difference between themselves and the universe. When they move, the universe is moving; when they cry, the universe is crying. In their understanding, the sound of their mother is their own. Only after a few months, the infant begins to realize that they are separate from the universe.
We are already born with this feeling of oneness instilled deep within us, but with time we develop ego boundaries that form an alternate reality; one of separation from all other living things.
We often neglect the truth that children are truly capable of connecting with divinity. They might not understand religion, however, they are capable of having a strong spiritual intellect and having a feeling of interconnection with the life force. They are easily awed and can be deeply moved by the most simple gestures. Lost in the wonders of their mind, their creativity is also a sign of higher wisdom.
Being wise is associated with having experience but it also signifies the characteristics of having good judgment. It could be experiential or behavioural. Children might lack the experiential aspect of wisdom but they do demonstrate behavioural wisdom, even if it comes with naivety. Their thoughts, actions and words are honest as they are not bothered or yet shaped by the norms of society.
At the first thought or glimpse of animal slaughter, they break into tears in contrary to adults who might or might not consider this as a standard activity of society. If you ever try to explain the contemporary issues of the world to young individuals, I’m certain they can provide many creative solutions. We now need not only experiential wisdom but behavioural wisdom as well. We need the same authentic, raw and innocent perspective to recollect the sense of oneness that we might have lost while developing our ego boundaries.
It’s only through the union of our adult experience and a childlike sense of interconnection that we can create a harmonious world for all the beings that we share our planet with.
As the climate catastrophe intensifies, there are still parts of the world where children are struggling more than ever for basic human rights. Food, shelter and clean drinking water are still far-fetched dreams for many. These are the voices that are capable of shaping the future of this planet, and we have to be more sensitive toward these realities.
The reason why we have so many young individuals fighting for climate change is because they understand harmony, justice and the fact that they have to do something about keeping Earth habitable for their generation and for future generations to come. We are led by the youth and we must have the humility to trust their actions.
There is a fierce boldness that comes with a child’s innocence.
We must remember that no matter how old we get, we will always remain a child to our mothers, ancestors and, last but not least, to Mother Earth. We must start believing in the wisdom of our inner child, to lead us toward a universal sense of oneness.
Written by Priyanka Singh @priyanka.parihar16
Source : The Road Less Travelled by M.Scott Peck
Featured Photographer : Gabriel Frank, Konstantin Mishchenko, Thanh Hue Dao, Shifaaz Shamoon, Albin Biju, Min Thein
